Indian recipes use a variety of spices – whole, chopped, ground, roasted, sautéed, fried and as topping. Below are the most common spices used in most recipes. All of these spices can be found at your local Indian grocery stores, and many can be found at Whole Foods (check the bulk section for lower prices) or other natural food markets.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a root of a plant from the ginger family. It is dried and ground to fine powder and is bright yellow in color. It should be used in very small amounts in cooking as it has a slight bitter taste. It is also called curcumin, and it is known to have health benefits for arthritis and anti inflammatory conditions.

Black Mustard Seeds

Black mustard seeds are the small seeds of mustard plants, and available at Indian grocery stores. These seeds release a pungent flavor when added to hot oil and they “pop”.

Coriander/Cilantro

Coriander also known as cilantro, is an annual herb. The dried seed of the coriander plant (above) is used whole, crushed (below) or ground finely.

Coriander or cilantro leaves can be used as a garnish or added to various dishes in recipes.

Cumin

Cumin is used as the seed or as a powder, and occasionally roasted as well.

Chili Powder/Dry Red Chilies

Chili powder is ground from dry cayenne peppers – it is different from Mexican “chili powder’. The intensity of heat can vary depending on the brand, so start with a minimum amount and adjust according to taste.

Cayenne peppers are dried in the sun and are used to flavor recipes with a touch of heat by frying them.

Cardamom

These are pods containing tiny seeds, from a plant of the ginger family. It can be used whole or the seeds can be removed and powdered. It is used to flavor desserts and other dishes.

Garam Masala

Garam Masala is a blend of various Indian spices and typically consists of: Coriander, Cloves, Cinnamon, Cumin, and Cardamom. It is generally used in meat or chicken recipes.